The Last Slayer
by a-dream-within-a-dream
Summary: BtVSLast Samurai Xover. Buffy and Giles travel to Japan 1876 to train her in leading and to help her to understand her destiny amongst the Samurai warriors. But it isn't long before she gets mixed up in their rebellion, alongside one Nathan Algren
1. To live with the Samurai

A/N I've had this idea for sometime now towrite a Buffy/Last Samurai crossover, and I haven't seen any others about.I don't know, something about the whole concept of destiny and the discipline of the samurai in the film really reminded me of some of Buffy and Giles's training especially at the begining of Season 5.And also it gives Buffy a chance to learn more about past slayers, to really understand her destiny, as she was beginning to in Season 5 before the whole Glory-Dawn-Dying thing. lol.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, there may be some samurai that i've created myself however. Everything else belongs to the show or the film.

Pairings: I'm thinking either Buffy/Katsumoto or Buffy/Nathan Algren, tell me which one you like more.

About this chapter: About a week after Chosen, from wherever the scoobs have rellocated (not important) Giles has literally pushed Buffy through a mystical portal taking her back to Japan in 1876. It isn't long before they run into Katsumoto and the rest of the Samurai...

**To live with the Samurai**

'I'd just like to say that I really, really, hate you right now,' grumbled Buffy Summers as she pushed her hair away from where it was clinging to her sweat-drenched forehead.

'Duly noted, I assure you,' replied her Watcher, Rupert Giles from ahead on the makeshift path.

'No, I'm being very serious here,' Buffy persisted, shifting her heavy backpack. 'Not only do you shove me through a mystical portal without telling me what the hell is going on, you send me to one of the most humid places ever and make me traipse through icky jungle for three days!'

Giles halted, gripping his wooden bamboo stick that he was using as an aid, and turned to give her a wry smile.

'You're a California girl Buffy, you should be fine with the heat, not to mention a Slayer, and you really should be able to cope.' Buffy shot him a death-glare and set off at a lumbering run to catch up with him.

'Yeah ok, key word there, A SLAYER, not THE SLAYER. Come on Giles, I defeated the First like what, a week ago? And I'm kinda wiped if that's all right with you!'

'Understandable.'

'Will you please quit it with the cryptic?'

'This is part of your training Buffy.'

That stopped her dead in her tracks, well that, and the fact that she'd nearly fallen over a cleverly concealed tree root.

'My what? I thought we'd just gone over the fact that I'm not the Slayer anymore; there are hundreds of girls who need training! Newbies! What more could you possibly have to teach me?' Giles gave her a strange look that she couldn't quite decipher; it was a mix of appraisal, doubt and a bright, shining hope.

'How to lead.'

* * *

Two hours later they were still moving at an agonizingly slow pace through the jungle, the air thick with humidity and the sound of bird cries in the distance. Giles hadn't spoken again since their earlier conversation and Buffy was content to leave it alone and stew with her own thoughts. She had to admit that she was seriously confused by what Giles had told her. After all, she'd just managed to lead a bunch of terrified girls against a several thousand strong army of uber-vamps and be successful. So what did Giles mean, teach her how to lead? She'd lead just fine without his assistance, the plan with awakening all the Slayers had been all her idea and she'd finally gained respect from the girls. Granted that was after she'd been kicked out of her home by her own sister after being betrayed by everyone she cared about, oh and replaced by Faith. That was the worst part. Her thoughts were broken as she was nearly smacked in the face by a vivid green plant leaf; her Slayer senses seemed to have deserted her in the irritating jungle. They'd been walking as she'd correctly stated for over three days and frankly she was getting sick of it. Giles hadn't brought much in the way of provisions probably due to the fact that she didn't even know what was going on until she was hurtling through a vivid red mystical portal. She'd never felt so indignant as when he'd unceremoniously pushed her in it, chucking a heavy rucksack in afterwards. She'd ranted on at him for hours straight and he hadn't given her any straight answers, just mumbling that it was necessary and to hurry up. All she could gather was that she was somewhere hot and humid. Whether she was still on earth or not was another matter. A violent cacophony of noises hit her eardrums, but before she could question Giles he'd already yanked her down to a crouching position and was gently moving some foliage aside to see what was going on.

'Right on time,' he whispered with a relieved smile. Buffy didn't even bother to question him, instead focusing on the scene before her.

* * *

Several petrified ranks of soldiers stood warily, peering anxiously into the mist before them, which was emitting strange and slightly unnatural noises. The soldiers wore a uniform of blue tight fitting pants and a black tunic, with oriental style helmets. From what she could make out, they were all Eastern; whether Japanese, Korean or Chinese she couldn't tell. All she knew for sure was that they were fixed to the spot in sheer terror. A few men on horseback were attempting to rally the men, one man in particular who seemed to be trying to order them into a firing line. They held guns.

'At least we're still on Earth,' Buffy muttered to Giles who didn't answer. Grotesque, monstrous shapes that were emerging from the mist and advancing very quickly on the soldiers once again recaptured her attention.

'Demons?' Buffy demanded of Giles and to her surprise he shook his head.

'Just watch Buffy.'

The fear seemed to have become too much for some of the soldiers and they began to fire at will, not taking account of the time needed to reload. By the time they realised their mistake it was already too late. The things were upon them.

* * *

Buffy could now see that the things were really men on horses, wearing elaborate armour, including headdresses that she was positive should hinder fighting. But in this case, she seemed to be wrong. The men galloped straight through the ranks of men, killing swiftly and accurately, as the ranks began to quickly disperse, men making mad dashes into the cover of the jungle. Some of the soldiers were trying to hold the broken ranks together, and Buffy noticed that the men on horseback who she assumed to be leaders were more than happy to turn tail and flee, leaving the task to one persistent white man and a silent Japanese rider. The Slayer felt her breath catch in her throat as another member of the infantry, also not Asian, was knocked forcefully to the ground and his assailant, magnificently powerful in full red body armour began to circle the fallen man, his weapon drawn.

'I can't just sit and do nothing!' She hissed to Giles before darting out into the field.

'Buffy!' He called out urgently. Ignoring him, she picked up a discarded weapon and sprinted forward just in time to intercept the warrior's blade with her own.

'Have you ever heard the phrase, don't kick a guy when he's down?' She drawled with a bright smile. The warrior's eyes that she could see through his mask widened comically and then promptly narrowed as he let of a stream of violent Japanese.

'Sorry buddy, don't understand you,' she said before smacking him around the head with the blunt edge of her sword, sending him stumbling with the force of her blow. After a quick inspection of the guy on the floor she grimly concluded that she would have been better off letting the Japanese fighter finish him off, he wasn't going to make it, that was certain. Her warrior had disappeared back into the dwindling fray giving her time to crouch down by the man.

'Hey, can you hear me?' She asked him gently. He focused his eyes before leaning to the side to cough up some blood.

'Perfectly well lass, I'm not deaf, I'm dying,' he replied with a Scottish accent, sounding strangely cheerful about it.

'No you're not, you're going to be fine,' she lied, trying not to flinch as she moved aside his tattered clothing to revel the deep wound.

'No need to pity me,' he said kindly. 'I'm old, I'm more worried about the American.' He spluttered more blood.

'Could you tell me where I am?' Buffy asked slowly, digesting the information that there was another American around here somewhere.

'Lass, don't you know? You're in Japan, 1876, but how you've ended up in the middle of all this…' he trailed off, his eyes unseeing. Buffy took a deep breath before gently smoothing his eyes closed. She was surprised to find her cheeks damp with tears; she would have thought that she'd be accustomed to death by now.

'Buffy!' Cried Giles suddenly, and she whirled around to see him being lead forward by two soldiers. He was struggling against them and her heart clenched. Just as she was about to fly to her Watcher's aid, however, a curved blade came into contact with the sensitive skin covering her jugular. The man spoke and she sighed in annoyance.

'Can't you guys speak any English?' The guy replied by grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her head painfully backwards to scrutinize her face. Giles was speaking rapidly in fluent Japanese and the pressure from the knife seemed to lessen as he listened to whatever the hell Giles was saying.

'Since when do you speak Japanese Giles?' Giles was staring pleadingly at her captor and the man gave a small incline of his head before hauling Buffy to her feet, the sword still placed warningly at her throat.

'Don't struggle whatever you do Buffy,' Giles implored. 'They are taking us to their chief so don't cause a fuss.'

'Me? A fuss?' She replied in feigned surprise and genuine irritation as the man dragged her along none-too-gently, Giles also being made to move by his two warriors.

* * *

Crossing the clearing that was now littered with bodies and discarded weaponry, Buffy gritted her teeth firmly to refrain from seriously kicking this guy's ass. He was whispering threatening nonsense in her ear and was keeping an uncomfortable hold on her. Giles had told her not to struggle but oh if this guy didn't shut up…

'Buffy,' Giles said warningly, guessing his charge's train of thoughts.

'Wasn't going to,' she replied moodily. She was forced to a stop and her captor's wariness suddenly seemed to disappear. Buffy guessed it had something to do with a white man on all fours who was crouching on the floor with an obvious injury, yet still determinedly still warding off the armoured men with a flagpole displaying a ornate picture of a tiger. A tall man in much more elaborate armour than the rest stepped forward, taking off his helmet to reveal a shaven head, and sharp defined features of a typical Japanese male to survey the stubborn man on the floor. Buffy took this man to be the chief. Her red-clad warrior from earlier, whom she'd effectively stopped from ending the elderly Scottish man's life, said something to the chief and came forward to dispatch of the man on the floor who was now kneeling unsteadily. The warrior let out a battle cry and raised his sword to decapitate the fallen man. Buffy let out a yell and began to struggle fiercely in protest, causing all eyes to focus on her including those of the chief. He looked at her with blatant surprise and obvious interest. The red-clad warrior seemed enraged at her for interrupting, but his eyes widened as the kneeling man shoved the broken end of the flagpole straight through the join in his armour and into the vulnerable flesh of his neck.

The man fell to the floor, his last look a one of pure shock, and another warrior ran to avenge his comrade's death only to be halted by the chief. He said something and instead the warrior reluctantly lifted the man to his feet and bound his arms. He was moved onwards and put up little resistance, only raising his battle-weary eyes to meet Buffy's gaze. His eyes were blue, vibrant like Spikes, yet dimmed by untold troubles of past deeds and things witnessed. Dark, slightly long and untidy hair framed his strong face with the tough jaw line, which was currently lax from something similar to sheer exhaustion. Their eyes only meet for a brief moment yet Buffy was intrigued. A near-dead hottie, she mused, well if I'm stuck in 1876 Japan I might as well have some fun.

Giles's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and brought her tumbling rudely back to reality. They were both still captive, and fun seemed the last thing that would happen right now. Giles was speaking frantically, trying to gain the attention of the chief who was following the path of the white man's movement and seemingly not listening to Giles. Buffy's captor apparently had decided that she was actually a threat and she now found herself in yet another death grip. The men were still restraining Giles and one had drawn a dagger and brought it up in a wide arch when the chief's gaze fixed on Giles in sheer disbelief at something her Watcher had just said. He gestured with an impatient hand for Giles to be released and approached him asking numerous questions. Giles answered readily and the chief kept looking back at Buffy over his shoulder until at last he came to a conclusion and gestured for two horses to be brought forward.

'You will come with us now,' he told them in stilted, heavily accented English before walking off to speak with some more of his men. Buffy eyed the horses suspiciously before turning back to Giles and putting her newly freed hands on her hips.

'What the hell did you just say?'

'_Chief Katsumoto!' Giles cried out. 'Please, we mean you or your people no harm! We beseech you; we have travelled a great distance to gain your counsel. It is for my companion, to help her to fulfil her destiny, only through living and working with you and your people can she truly learn what it is to lead!' His captors seemed to have had enough of his pleading and one reached for his dagger, menacingly bringing it up in a high and wide arch when Giles decided to throw all caution to the wind in a bid to stay alive. 'She is the Slayer!'_

_This certainly caught Katsumoto's attention. He turned to face Giles, eyes wide._

'_The Slayer?'_

'_Yes!' Katsumoto's gaze flicked to the thin golden-haired woman. He raised an impatient hand and gestured for Giles to be released as he approached._

'_This woman is the Slayer?'_

'_Yes, the longest living one in history.' Katsumoto looked at Buffy again and she met his gaze steadily._

'_Why have you come?'_

'_She needs guidance and training in your people's ways, to help her become a better leader, a better warrior.'_

'_You are her Watcher? Her guide?'_

'_Yes I am, we have trained together for seven years now.' Katsumoto paused reflectively._

'_I remember when the honour was granted to one of my people. She lived as a Slayer and died as one, I will help you.'_

'_Thank you Chief,' Giles breathed in relief. Katsumoto had two bay horses brought forward and addressed Buffy in slow, careful English before turning on his heel to tend to the matter of the shamed ex-Samurai captain. That was when Buffy placed her hands on her hips and demanded an answer from Giles, suspicion etched onto the contours of her face. Giles ignored her, instead choosing to lift her bodily into the saddle of one of the horses before mounting his own._

'Hey! Answer me! Where are we going?' Giles allowed himself to smile at his anxious Slayer.

'To live with the Samurai.'

There was a pause.

'WHAT?'

So what did you think? If you liked it, hated it, have anything to say please review!


	2. Exhaustion sets in

Wow, I can't believe how many reviews I got for the first chapter! This seems to be going down well with you guys! It's definately made me feel better about taking on something which has never been done before! You guys rule! Ohh and as to the pairing, Nathan/Buffy won out, sorry for all you who wanted to see her with Katsumoto, I might try and write some brief romance between those two as well.

**manticore-gurl071134:** Hehe, my first reviewer! Kudos to you! Lol although you didn't say much for me to reply to, thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter.

**WhiteWolf3:** And a close second reviewer! Also kudos! You're right, knowing the stubborness of Buffy, especially like how she was in the earlier seasons, she's definately not going to co-opperate very easily with anybody! Poor Giles has his work cut out for him! Although you probably don't sympathise v. much with Giles, and yes it may seem a bit unfair for what he's done to Buffy, the whole shoving her through a portal thing, but he has his reasons. And can you imagine the reaction if he'd actually asked her? Would not have been pretty! He believes that Buffy needs this experience, so didn't ask her as he knew she'd protest. Hope you like this chapter!

**taryn:** Very happy you thought the first chapter was ok, always hard to get people interested from the get go, and thanks for your vote on the pairings!

**Xochitl:** Thanks for your support, I will definately keep going because I love this story, I just hope I get the reviewer response as well!

**Eámanë Aldaríon:** Hehe you sound so enthusiastic, thanks! I hope I deliever with the whole Buffy n Giles living with the Samurai, ti's a bit daunting actually! You've won out with the pairing and I agree with your reasons, they're pretty much why I could see them together in the first place! But although yes Nathan is older, he's like 140 odd years younger than her average so hehe! It's just another pretty much doomed relationship. I won't say much but keep in mind that Giles will NOT be happy!

**Saint Maverick:** Glad you like it, I have in mind for the story to follow the outline of the film, but mainly focusing on Buffy's impact on the Samurai and their's on her.

**zayra:** Major kudos to you! Hehe I'm so happy to finally be doing something that's original, and I'm so happy you like it, especially my writing style. Yeah I'll try and deliever with the angst, but be warned it's my first time writing angst so it might take a bit of developing. Hope you like this chapter!

**Milamber :** Thanks your opinion means a lot, I haven't seen any other crossovers like this either so yey I'm original!

**Catlimere:** Very happy you like the idea but I'm sorry to have to let you down on the Buffy/Katsumoto. But as I said I'll definately establish a good friendship and maybe some mild romance to screw up the process of Nathan/Buffy thus giving more angst. Thanks for all the support and I hope you like this chapter.

**Skylar:** I'm definately going to continue, never fear, happy you're very interested!

**stcobb:** Thanks for reviewing hope you likethischapter!

**Anna:** You'll be happy with the pairing, and thank you for giving me more insight into what I can have them have in common, I didn't think about their soldiers dying, thanks!

**Theo:** Happy you liked it.

**goldenshadows:** Glad you like the concept n hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Lorency:** Got your attention, hope I keep it! Yeah Buffy's reactions will be interesting, but concerning how the men treat her it won't be like the typical LOTR/Buffy crossover where the men/elves look down on her, the Samurai as I explain a bit more in this chapter, already know what a slayer is as one of their own was once the Chosen One, so they will treat her with a bit more respect. Well most will...

**Jenn:** Woo go new and exciting, and thank you I have never considered myself gutsy before, I like it! And I really appreciate your compliments on my writing style, I love those parts of reviews! And yeah isn't there just loads for Buffy to discover and learn about herself? It's so open! You won out on the pairing, and I agree with your reasons for liking them together. Especially about the stubborness making the whole process long and angsty. But be warned this is kinda my first attempt at writng angst into a story so any hints will be very warmly received!

**fan :** You be the reader I'll be the storyteller

**Just Me:** You're not the only one who hasn't considered this idea before, but I'm glad you like it. Enjoy!

**dustie:** Although I appreciate what you've said about why Nathan/Buffy isn't such a gd idea, the votes are against you and I secretly always prefered them together anyway, despite theobvious fact (as you stated) thathe will definately piss her off. But isn't that when Buffy's at her best, pissed off? Like how Spikeused to make her? I personally couldn't stand all the emotional crappart of her character. Butthere will probably be some mild Katsumoto/Buffy romance and a definate friendship formed. And surely Buffy's stronger thanthat? She wouldn't completely breakdown losing someoneelse, when she knows that she shouldn't embark oncertain relationships in the firstplace? Anyways hope you like thischapter!

Buffy was exhausted, and quite rightly so.

Three days straight of walking directly after an earth-shattering battle were enough to exhaust anyone, even a Slayer. Dawn and her had actually decided on a much needed spa weekend once they had relocated in L.A with Angel and his crew at Wolfram and Hart. Unfortunately, Buffy had never got around to booking it because of a certain British Watcher whose neck was in need of a serious wringing.

Under normal circumstances she would not be ashamed to admit her fatigue but then again, these **definitely** weren't normal circumstances. She was currently riding a horse for the first time since elementary school through the beautiful, pink-tinged mountainous scenery of 1876 Japan surrounded on each side by silent Samurai warriors. Not your everyday trip. Therefore, she rigidly kept her seat on the horse, forcing her eyes to remain open despite the powerful waves of sleep that threatened to overwhelm her. She was desperately clinging on to the land of the awake in an attempt to save face infront of the warriors; from what little she could remember of her highschool history, no nation of the 1800's looked kindly on opinionated women and if she was to live with the Samurai, she had to be accepted on their terms. She had a hunch that falling asleep and/or falling off her horse wouldn't help and she was anxious to disprove any speculation that she was too weak to keep up with them as warriors, which equaled no nice nap for Buffy.

'Stupid Samurai,' she muttered under her breath, thankfully only being heard (and understood) by Giles, or so she thought. To her embarrassment, the wounded man from the earlier battle managed to lift his head an inch off the horses back to shoot her a wry amused smile before promptly collapsing again. Buffy felt herself blush and looked away from the bound American, urging her horse gently onwards to catch up with Giles, who seemed to be annoyingly comfortable on horseback.

'Hey!' She cried to get his attention. Giles glanced over and offered her a small smile.

'Hello Buffy.'

'Who's that guy they've taken as prisoner?' She blurted out, unable to contain her curiosity. Giles looked over his shoulder to see the man nearly slip off his mount before a Samurai roughly pulled him back up by his hair.

'Nathan Algren I believe,' he replied nonchalantly. Buffy raised an eyebrow.

'And how is that at all helpful?'

'Oh you want details, you should have said.'

'Giles!'

'Algren, yes, well if my facts are correct he has recently been commissioned by the Japanese Army as a Captain to train his troops in modern warfare ready to lead them against the rebel forces,' Giles informed her.

'And who would the rebel forces be?'

'You're riding with them,' Giles replied, his smile widening. Buffy looked disgruntled.

'Oh great, so not only am I stuck in Japan, I'm also stuck with the rebels? Good planning there Mr Watcher.'

'Actually my plans are turning out quite well so far,' he countered mildly. Buffy ignored his last comment, instead sneaking another glance at Nathan Algren.

'Yeah anyway, back to the Captain, why is he here?'

'Well according to history,' Giles began slipping back into studious Watcher mode. 'He was an old War Hero from the Civil War, an alcoholic who suffered greatly from the guilt of war crimes committed in his time in the army. In the first failed attempt to lead the Japanese forces against Katsumoto's rebellion he was taken prisoner, as you've just seen, and Katsumoto keeps Algren with him in an attempt to learn from his so-called enemy. The Japanese are very spiritual people and greatly believe and revere the concept of destiny.'

'Perfect,' Buffy interupted. 'More of that destiny crap.'

'Buffy please! Honestly! As I was saying, due to the concept of destiny Katsumoto believed, well believes, his rebellion to be in service of the emperor. Nathan Algren spent a period of his life learning from the Samurai, giving his life meaning once again, and he chose to fight alongside them against the emperor's forces that he had once trained,' Giles paused. 'Off course all that hasn't happened yet, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention any of that to anyone, we don't want to change the course of history too much.'

'Fine fine, I'll keep quiet,' Buffy grumbled distractedly, digesting all the information she had just been given. As much as she was letting Giles know she was NOT amused at being shoved back in time without her consent, Buffy was exceptionally curious to learn more about the Samurai and Nathan Algren in particular. She was beginning to wonder if maybe Giles had been right in taking her here, if she were ever to warm up to the idea of destiny it would certainly be here amongst these people.

* * *

As the sun set in a glorious display of dark reds and oranges that evening, Buffy thankfully fell down from her horse and collapsed very ungracefully next to an exotic looking tree, relishing in getting the feeling back into her leg muscles. Her abandoned horse was taken away by a Samurai who shot her an inquisitive and wary glance as he set about tending to the horse's needs. Giles had disappeared, his horse already tidily unpacked and tethered to a tree with a pale of water to drink from.

'Showoff,' the Slayer murmured, wincing at the pain she could now feel shooting through her limbs as the numbness left her. Dark shapes cast a shadow over her and Buffy looked up eagerly.

'Giles did you find food? Wait…you're not Giles…' she trailed off in humiliation when she saw who really stood above her; Katsumoto who was now partially free of his armour and eyeing her carefully as if waiting for her to attack. Two other men flanked him, one appearing so confrontational it was all she could do not to roll her eyes. His arms were folded, his hands already forming fists. The other man was of advanced age, with a thin face and a wiry body to match, only a breastplate of armour covering his dress like kimono. Oddly Buffy found herself reminiscing about her own blood red silk kimono that she used to sleep in, that was now somewhere in the huge crater that was formally Sunnydale. She was snapped out of her trance however when Katsumoto spoke to her once again in his slow broken English.

'Rest now, and do not disturb my men, someone will bring you and your Watcher food.' With that said, Katsumoto turned and walked away dismissively, his men following in his wake, before she'd even had a chance to get to her feet and say something. Well, considering the sate she was in after riding, just say something rather than manage the whole standing up thing.

'Do not disturb my men, what the hell is that all about,' she grumbled.

'I think he means don't take any of your clothes off to sleep,' Giles answered as he approached. 'In case you haven't noticed you are the only woman in the camp Buffy,' Giles pondered for a moment. 'Or he could mean for you not to attack anyone, I'm not entirely sure.'

'Geez that's so helpful,' she replied sarcastically. 'And yeah stripping down to my underwear infront of about thirty plus men one of them being my Watcher not high on my to-do list,' she made an disgusted face which quickly disappeared as a thought crossed her mind. 'Wait, the chief guy said 'Your Watcher!' Giles! You told them I was a Slayer? What were you thinking? And they know what it is?' She demanded incredulously. Giles sighed.

'Buffy I was about to be gutted like a fish, so forgive me if I gave away your secret to save my neck. And yes they have heard of the Slayer as about five years ago, one of Katsumoto's people became a Slayer, and she died three years afterwards. They consider it to be a great honour.'

'More like a great burden stroke pain in the neck!' Buffy exclaimed, shifting against the tree as her bum had started to go to sleep on her. A samurai approached and gave them each a wooden bowl of food, Giles saying something in Japanese to which the man bowed.

'Um thanks,' Buffy said uncertainly. The man looked at her strangely and she tried again. 'Um, thank you?' The man shrugged before leaving them with the food. Buffy eyed the rice suspiciously, taking a tiny bit. It was actually really good so she started to pig out, realising just how hungry she was.

'The whole language barrier thing is going to get really old, really fast,' she said to Giles between mouthfuls.

'You could try to learn Japanese.' She snorted.

'Giles I failed highschool French, what makes you think I could learn something as difficult as Japanese?'

'You had other commitments in highschool.' She gave him a cynical look.

'I would have failed anyway.' Giles shrugged and grinned.

'Probably.'

'Hey!' They ate the rest of their food in silence and Giles got up to give their empty bowls back to the Samurai. Upon returned, he smiled to see that Buffy had finally given into sleep and had curled herself into an uncomfortable little ball. Giles retrieved a blanket from his backpack and settled himself on the ground, moving Buffy so that her head rested upon his shoulder, her position a lot more comfortable. He arranged the blanket around them and in a loving, fatherly gesture kissed the top of her head.

'Sleep Buffy, god knows you'll need it,' he murmured looking up at the stars as he felt himself drift off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Rudely awakened at dawn, Buffy was forced to leave the comfort of Giles's shoulder and the woolen blanket to get on her stupid horse again for another half a day's trekking until they reached Katsumoto's son's village, or so Giles informed her.

'That's where we'll be staying?' She asked him as the made the slow progress over the uneven terrain.

'Yes, as will Algren, until the snow melts and the paths are clear. That is when Katsumoto will travel to the capital in an attempt to negotiate with the Emperor before the final confrontation, and that's also when we'll leave. We don't want to get too involved with the politics, we're not here for that and we certainly can't…'

'Change history?' Buffy supplied sweetly. 'You already mentioned that part, besides we won't even need to be here that long right?' He didn't answer and she began to panic. 'Right?'

'We will be here for around six months,' Giles replied, gaze averted waiting for the expected reaction.

'WHAT?' Buffy yelled, attracting the attention of several of the Samurai, as well as the semi-conscious Nathan who could only just make out the blonde woman riding alongside the British man. 'We're staying for six months? How dare you! How dare you drag me here and tell me I'm stuck in Japan for six freakin' months! Not even modern day Japan at that! What about Dawn? My friends? And the potentials, finding the new Slayers? What about them?' Buffy finished her rant and glared at Giles waiting for his answer. Reluctantly he met her furious gaze.

'Everyone in L.A has been informed of the situation and Xander and Willow have agreed to look after Dawn while you're gone. She's going to school in L.A, Hemery I think, and Angel's set up a special unit in Wolfram and Hart for locating and training the new Slayers, Faith's sorting it out, linking it with what's left of the Watcher's Council in England. Wesley's taking control of rebuilding it.' Buffy was completely speechless; her friends knew? And everything had been decided without her knowledge. Plus FAITH was running the show back home as the original Slayer! How much more could things suck!

'Buffy,' Giles began but she cut him off with a sharp look.

'I don't want to talk to you at the moment,' she said harshly before moving her horse away from his, lost in her thoughts.

I know it was short, but it was more of a connecting chapter, the next will definately be longer. Review!


	3. Lesson the First: Laying Plans

Thanks for all your reviews; sorry this update's been so long coming.

Japanese Translations at the bottom of the page.

From now on each chapter will be based on the different sections of 'Art of War.'

**Laying Plans**

Giles had been through many trials and tribulations in his forty plus years, he'd seen many things that would haunt him forever and done things he'd give anything to forget. He'd always known he'd join the elusive ranks of the Watcher's Council, yet had never expected his life to have turned out the way it had. To him, a position in the Watcher's Council had always represented prestige and academia, along with Cuban cigars and Italian Merlot. His rose-tinted eyes had always skimmed over the less-attractive aspects of the life for which he was pre-destined; the evil, the corruption, the stench of death that surrounded it. Until he'd received his own Slayer, he'd never really taken much notice of the girls he had sometimes seen following their Watchers obediently through the colossal building in London, he'd never realised what the Watcher's Council meant to them. How it changed them forever from innocent teenage girls fretting over highschool dances and spots to hard, wiry killing machines, seemingly devoid of all human emotion, living double lives for fear of rejection.

Buffy was a prime example of the transformation from girl into Slayer. She was one of the few to have ever discovered the origins of the First Slayer, whom had been given the heart of the demon, and it had horrified her. Yet she was still ignorant of what this really meant and Giles didn't have the strength to tell her. He saw it, however, in her hazel eyes, every time she fought. Buffy blamed herself as a person for how she'd changed over the years, blaming circumstances and her own tendency towards superiority. Although that hadn't helped, Giles was desolate with the knowledge that there was nothing she could have done to prevent her transformation from the well-covered, excitable youth into the alarmingly strong and distant woman that she had become. The heart of the demon that had been given to the First Slayer lived on throughout the generations. A so-called defensive and spiritual procedure had resulted in thousands of women being overwhelmed with the demon that lived inside them, which was fully unleashed when they fought. Buffy didn't realise that, as the longest living Slayer, her demonic powers were slowly permeating her other life of seeming normality and Giles mourned for her loss but never could utter the truth when she turned those large trusting eyes towards him.

How could he tell the woman he loved like a daughter what she was becoming? Or how when Spike had pegged her for a demon when he discovered his chip was ineffective on her that the vampire hadn't been as wrong as Tara had claimed? And, lastly and most painfully, how could he have explained during the year Dawn came into existence that Dawn's death wouldn't have only benefited the world, it would have bought Buffy herself more time? For when the monks made the radical decision of creating the Key from Buffy, they had stolen a part of her soul, allowing the demon more access, and sending Buffy reeling into depression. There was more to this adventure through time than Giles had explained to Buffy, and as he watched her stiff back as she rode onwards relentlessly he wondered how he could tell her that he'd only brought her here for her own good? And that she'd never understand how much he cared for her? In all his life Giles didn't think he'd felt such a dilemma as he did right that moment.

'Mr Giles,' came a voice alongside him, breaking the tired Watcher from his thoughts.

'Chief Katsumoto,' Giles replied immediately snapping to attention. The Japanese warrior, for the first time since they'd arrived not surrounded by bodyguards and attendants, had pulled his horse up to ride with Giles in the hope of some conversation that had been plaguing the Buddhist's mind for some time.

'_I wish to speak with you,' he said quietly in Japanese._

'_How may I be of service?' Giles answered, puzzled._

'_It concerns the woman,' Katsumoto nodded his head in Buffy's direction. 'I am still unclear as to what you want from us. I know she to be American, yet neither of you seem from this time.' Giles clenched the horse's reigns tighter. 'I received a vision of the Captain but saw nothing to announce the coming of you or your Slayer, and I am confused by what this means.'_

'_Let me repeat that we mean you no harm,' Giles began but was interupted._

'_I sense no danger from you sir, but your charge is volatile and needs to better control her impulses and powers.'_

'_That is why I have brought her here,' Giles said and Katsumoto listened intently. 'She is of strong character, which has not always served her well in the past, and although she has prevailed through numerous battles, her leadership was bordering on a dictatorship and she lacks the skills needed. She is still young to the world and does not understand her destiny or what is required of her, and she's growing out of my reach, she doesn't think she need's my guidance anymore.'_

'_The student always believes that they know more than the teacher,' Katsumoto said wisely. 'I understand your problem. But you have not answered my other question. Where are you from, for you are certainly not natives to this time.' Giles took a deep breath._

'_I doubt you will believe me.'_

'_I endeavour to be open-minded, no one man knows all until they have received divine enlightenment which I have not.'_

'_Very well,' said Giles. 'We are from the future.' Katsumoto frowned in bafflement._

'_The future?'_

'_Several hundred years into the future actually, from the 21st Century,' Giles elaborated. 'And you are right Buffy is American from California in the year 2004.'_

'_This is most uncommon,' Katsumoto said reflectively almost causing Giles to burst out in relieved laughter at the chief's expression. Instead of one of confused rage resulting in a rather unpleasant fight, Katsumoto wore a scholarly expression, thinking of how such an event may have come about._

'_Through spiritual means perhaps,' he mused. 'Most interesting, I will have to learn more during your stay with us.'_

'_Thank you for understanding Chief,' Giles said with a bow of his head. Katsumoto bowed in return and spurred his horse onwards, before hesitating and coming to a halt._

'_You said her name was…Buffy?' He asked unsurely._

'_Yes,' replied Giles. Katsumoto frowned again._

'_What a strange name.'

* * *

_

Katsumoto did not speak again to Giles now that his questions were answered. Instead he began to conjure up a variety of ideas as to how two people from the distant future could return to the time of his people. Our deeds must have been remembered, he thought, or how else could this man have known of us? Our rebellion is definitely going to be successful, this is a sign. Katsumoto was very content to know this, to know that he was helping his former student the divine Emperor of Japan, by retaining Japanese heritage. His thoughts turned to the American Captain who was still semi-unconscious due to his injuries and presenting little problems, at least at this stage. The vision Katsumoto had received of the un-defeatable, determined Tiger became clear the moment he saw the injured American still fighting against impossible odds. The Captain was his enemy; that was certain. He had fiercely murdered Katsumoto's brother-in-law and the chief felt his heart pang at the hurt it was bound to cause his beautiful sister. The Captain, however, was important, otherwise why would he have been granted a divine vision telling him so? It eluded Katsumoto as to why, however, why had this man been sent to them? What was his greater purpose? An aid to their rebellion perhaps? A sudden thought struck him and he took a sharp intake of breath. Were the Slayer and the Captain interlinked in destiny? It was definitely a mystery as to why two strangers, who he deemed both searching for something unknown to them, would cross paths at such a place and time. It was too well planned to simply be labeled a coincidence. What did they seek from Katsumoto, or better yet, what could he endeavour to learn from them? He began to formulate plans in his mind as to what to do with them both.

By this time, his son's village was barely a stone's throw away, and the people were flooding towards the war party with praise and food and ceremony, the children running haphazardly over the green hills to reach the dirt road with their mothers following cautiously behind. Blossoms were thrown in their path and Katsumoto felt profoundly thankful to be home. The company began to dismount, the Slayer and her Watcher standing together instinctively despite her icy bitterness towards him outlined by her posture. The Captain was helped by one of Katsumoto's men to painfully slide from the horse and he fell to his knees outside one of the houses. Katsumoto watched expressionless as Uijo approached him and slowly withdrew his curved sword from its scabbard. Giles was also watching with no expression and Buffy stared in wary confusion. The Samurai shouted out a battle cry and brought his sword down in one swift movement…

Buffy gasped. Giles was motionless. Katsumoto raised an eyebrow.

The sword stopped barely an inch from Nathan's neck and he just looked up at the Japanese man with a dead look in his eyes, he didn't even value his own life anymore to try and move. Buffy let out a measured breath; she was completely out of her depth here.

'This is my son's village,' said Katsumoto to the captain. 'You are trapped here until the snow melts.'

He swept past him and into the house, his son pausing to survey the captain for himself.

'Jolly good,' he said before following his father. The samurai Uijo was the one to approach Buffy and Giles speaking rapidly in Japanese. Giles replied quickly and almost meekly.

'What is going on?' Buffy hissed at him, hating to be out of the loop.

'We are to stay with a widower in his home,' Giles told her. 'And you are to speak in private with the chief in an hour, our host will escort you to the location.'

'Oh goody,' she replied and he winced at her tone, choosing the safer option of not replying as he dislodged their belongings from the horses and followed Uijo to their new residence. Buffy's gaze went to the exhausted man on the ground.

'Giles, you're not seriously going to just leave him here are you?' She cried out in disbelief.

'He's not our concern Buffy,' Giles said, not even glancing back. As she watched, the Japanese surrounded the man and dragged him to his feet and towards another house further down the path, not caring for the obvious pain that they were inflicting on him.

'Hey! Be careful!' She shouted, but it was useless, and Buffy found that she had no other choice but to follow Giles and Uijo up the steady incline towards their new home, but she couldn't resist watching the captain until he had been dragged fully out of sight.

* * *

She shifted her bag in order to find a more comfortable position on her shoulder and trudged after Giles and the Samurai who she'd learnt was named Uijo. The surroundings and the village itself, as much as she hated to admit it, were exquisite. The ancient wooden buildings, which looked ready to tumble at the same time as appearing invincible to the elements, were so unlike anything she'd ever seen in California. The fresh mountainous scenery also was certainly a different backdrop to the skyscrapers of Los Angeles; it was blanketed with a serene calmness, seemingly unfazed by the outside world. In this mountain pass, she knew the Samurai were completely isolated. Uijo slowed infront of a medium sized dwelling that was the last in a row of many, where an elderly man stood proudly waiting for them. Both he and Uijo bowed to each other, before the unyielding Samurai turned and abandoned them before their host.

'Hajimemashite,' Giles said in Japanese. Buffy rolled her eyes and began to inspect her fingernails.

'Greetings to you too stranger,' the man replied easily in English. Buffy's head snapped up, her attention regained.

'You speak English?' She demanded as she crossed the dirt path and bounded up the three or so steps to reach his veranda. He bowed again, and rose with a smile upon his heavily lined, worn face and nodded. 'Oh thank God!' She exclaimed. 'You have no idea how glad I am right now to meet you!'

'Kochira koso,' he replied, his brown eyes twinkling. Buffy frowned.

'Say what?'

'Never mind young one,' the man said with a laugh, turning to shake Giles's hand warmly.

'Katsumoto has informed you of the situation then?' Giles inquired.

'A message was sent to me during your journey,' the man explained. 'Please, come in and take a cup of tea.' Giles's face instantly brightened and Buffy watched the two men walk ahead of her, shaking her head in amazement.

'Un-freekin' believable!'

* * *

The hour passed much quicker than anticipated and Buffy had barely had time to unpack what little belongings Giles had brought for her (packed, she seethed at the knowledge, with Dawn's assistance), when their host was bundling her out of his home and up another, steeper hill to meet Katsumoto. Their host's name, they had discovered, was Aziz, and his wife had been dead for a month to the day. Buffy would have expected him to have been subdued, yet he told her that he did not fear separation by death and neither had his wife.

'We will be together again, in Nirvana,' he'd said in his melodious voice. 'When it is my time to leave this mortal plane and join her.'

He was also, astoundingly, Katsumoto's former teacher and tutor, having been best friends with Katsumoto's late father. This man certainly didn't look his years, especially as he climbed up the incline nimbly and without a fuss when Buffy, even with her Slayer abilities, was starting to feel the beginnings of a cramp. Man, she really needed to sleep!

'Would you like to rest for a moment Buffy?' Aziz inquired in a mildly polite voice, stopping a few paces ahead and looking back at the short blonde woman behind him. Buffy slipped on her own version of Willow's 'resolve face.'

'No I'm fine thanks, we're actually walking a little too slow for my liking.' The man bowed his head, concealing a smirk.

'As you wish,' and he was off, practically running up the hill before Buffy even realised it.

'Oh crap,' she muttered as she set off at the alarmingly fast pace up the hill after the deceptively spry old man.

They emerged at last into a beautiful blossom tree glade in the shadow of a wooden Buddhist temple, which was centuries old yet filled with spiritual beauty. Unfortunately, Buffy didn't take in any of her surroundings, instead choosing to collapse ungainly on the wooden veranda of the temple.

'Oh air is good,' she murmured, her heart rate gradually returning to normal. When she'd said she wanted to speed up, she had no idea Aziz would take her that seriously! And how was he not dying after he'd practically done a marathon sprint up one of the steepest hills in history? Instead he was sitting cross-legged next to her, his eyes closed in a blissful calm.

'First lesson,' came the bemused voice of Katsumoto a few feet away as he got up from his own meditation to great her. 'A good leader is never afraid to admit to human weaknesses for their own well-being.'

'Yeah, think I got the memo here,' Buffy replied moodily, and a tad embarrassed, as she slowly got to her feet to face the Chief.

'Memo?' He asked curiously, tilting his head to one side to examine her, a gesture that made Buffy feel incredibly uncomfortable.

'It's just a saying,' she said, shuffling under his gaze.

'There are many 'sayings' in English which I do not understand,' he said thoughtfully. 'You will have to teach them to me.'

'Hey,' she interupted. 'Aren't you meant to be the one teaching me useless crap which I already know? Not the other way round.'

'You are the Slayer,' he confirmed, ignoring her outburst. Buffy rolled her eyes.

'Well yeah, I thought we'd been over that part.'

'The longest living Slayer in history?'

'I suppose so.'

'Then why are you so reluctant to accept your duty after so many years performing it?'

'Why should I tell you?' She retorted angrily at his probing question. Katsumoto gave no outward sign of offence at her tone yet automatically at the sound of a raised voice, three armed Samurai appeared out of thin air to come to their Chief's defence. He waved a hand, not taking his gaze from Buffy, and they stepped back into the shadows, their swords sheathed.

'Because,' he continued, ignoring their interruption. 'If I am to help you embrace your destiny as your Watcher insists, I must know your feelings on the matter.'

'My feelings?' She repeated incredulously. 'My feelings? About what exactly sir? About being unceremoniously dumped in Japan two hundred years ago by someone I trust? Or that I'm stuck here learning what I probably already know for six months without my friends or family? Or perhaps you mean my feelings on loosing the man I loved and a close friend of mine in a life-changing battle, when I thought this would all be over, after seven exhausting years of fighting? Is that what you mean?' Her voice was high, her cheeks flushed, her eyes glistening with passionate tears, enraged by Katsumoto's unchanging stoic expression. 'Maybe that's why I don't want to 'accept' my duty, I'm sick of it, I just want to have a normal life, watch my sister grow up into a healthy adjusted woman, get an average job, hell even get married and have kids!'

'All reasonable things to want in life,' Katsumoto said with an approving nod of his head, his calmness frustrating her even more if that was possible.

'You think so? Well so do I,' she carried on. 'I never got to be a normal teenage girl, I was too busy _dying_ and saving the world every night when I should have been in my room listening to preppy music and worrying about midterms. I thought when the potentials became Slayers that this would all be over, and that I'd finally have a chance at the life I missed out on, but hell no, can't let Buffy rest, can we? No, Giles just has to interfere and shove me through a portal, feeding me some bullshit about having to learn how to lead! I know how to lead! I got my girls through a battle, I've been leading my friends into a war every night so what, Chief, could you possibly have to teach me?' Buffy finished, inwardly pleading with him to give her some sort of reassurance that she was in the right, and that Giles owed her an apology and to take her home. The silence that stretched between them became stifling for the Slayer and painfully she approached the unyielding, imposing man and said in a pathetic voice so unlike her own.

'Please?'

Katsumoto still did not say anything but instead his face broke into a smile of all things, and he quickly crossed over to the woven mat where he had been meditating and retrieved a large, leather-bound book, the pages well-thumbed.

'Here,' he said, presenting it to her gallantly. Buffy took it gingerly; it was heavy. She glared at him once again.

'This is what you've got to teach me? Giles could have found this…well whatever the hell this is back home!'

'This is 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu,' he explained. 'Originally written in Chinese, yet here it is translated into Japanese, and here,' he opened the cover for her and she saw a thick wad of parchment written in grammatically incorrect English. 'I have begun to translate it into English for my own pleasure, Mr Giles should be able to finish the rest of the translation.'

'That's a lie, war isn't an art. It's all about death, plain and simple.'

'No,' he said, giving her a look that plainly said he thought her comment was ignorant. 'War is so much more than that, a good leader would know this.'

She rolled her eyes.

'You will study this book in detail,' he informed her and she suddenly felt like she was back at Sunnydale High. 'It won't harm you to learn some Japanese either,' he added. 'As I have other texts that I wish to show you that are not translated. Aziz will help you with this.'

'I suck at languages,' she muttered mutinously and he pretended not to hear her.

'Each Chapter contains an important new lesson that I expect you to consider without complaint, and once every two weeks you will see me in this temple for private tuition, on the book and other matters on destiny and Nirvana.'

Finished with her he smiled and motioned for Aziz to come forwards as he turned back to his meditation.

'And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?' She demanded, wholly unsatisfied.

'Train with my warriors, learn our language, help amongst our people,' he said flippantly.

'Are you done with me or something?' She asked.

'This has been a good conversation,' he said before he shut his eyes, firmly ignoring her. Aziz stepped forward and took the annoyed woman by the arm.

'Come Buffy, it is time to leave.'

Buffy, resigned, allowed the old man to lead her from the temple, and through the blossom glades as she read the first chapter's title on the translated parchment.

'Laying plans,' she snorted. 'What a joke.'

Please Review!

Japanese:  
Hajimemashite _How do you do?_  
Kochira koso _The pleasure is mine_


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